


can you be mine without making me ask?

by snazzy_23



Category: Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Aman's grandfather deserves some rights, Fluff, Including the Author, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Shankar the father of year, Strangers to Lovers, everyone operates on a single braincell here, its mostly crack, might seem like a sugar daddy au but trust me it isnt, thank god for the internet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:54:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25932448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snazzy_23/pseuds/snazzy_23
Summary: Aman is all set to take over his family's business but only one thing stops him from achieving his goal; his grandfather's will which clearly states that he needs to get married before his 30th birthday to get his share of the inheritance. He finds his husband in a broke comic book illustrator named Kartik Singh.or, a marriage of convenience au where Aman and Kartik marry each other for money.
Relationships: Kartik Singh & Devika, Kartik Singh/Aman Tripathi
Comments: 128
Kudos: 98





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi hello! Welcome, everyone!  
> i hope you enjoy reading this because i enjoyed writing it. i'm not gonna fix an update schedule for this and just update it when i come up with something.

_ Grr… grr….  _ The vibrations of his phone wakes him up in the morning. He looks at the clock that sits on his bedside table and the time reads,  _ 7:30 am.  _ He yawns and stretches his body before getting up from the bed. Once he has brushed his teeth, he goes to the kitchen and turns on the coffee machine. While the coffee machine does its work, he goes to take a shower. Once he is done with the shower, he walks out to his huge walk-in closet and picks out his outfit for the day, a crisp white button-down shirt with black slacks and a black suit jacket. He picks out a black skinny tie and black dress shoes to complete the outfit. He considers taking off his earring but decides against it. 

Once he is satisfied with the way his outfit looks, he fixes his hair and his beard a little. He looks at his face in the mirror and smiles at his reflection.  _ I hope papa will be satisfied with the way I look.  _ He thinks and huffs. He walks out of his bedroom and sees the coffee is ready. He pours the coffee in a mug and looks at the watch to check if he has time to bother with breakfast. The clock reads,  _ 9:00 am  _ and he panics. He has to get to the office by 10 am or his father would be mad at him. He abandons his mug of coffee and makes a run for the door. 

He gets to his office building five minutes before 10 am and sighs out in relief. He might have broken too many traffic rules to get here on time, but let's not talk about that. He walks past his secretary who informs him that his father is yet to arrive which makes him a little less anxious than before. He tells her to get him some breakfast before his father arrives. She gives him a nasty look and is about to start ranting about how he needs to eat more homemade meals when he just gives her a smile and runs into his office. 

Once he is inside, he looks around. This isn’t his first time in his office but every time he comes in here, he feels at home. This is all he ever wanted from his life. His own office in his company. Well, technically it's his father’s company till now, but not for long. As soon as he turns 30, the company will be handed to him and he will be able to run it in whatever way he wants to. He thinks back to the time he nearly lost it all. The day he came out to his family. 

Before coming out, his father always policed him on how he should dress, how he should act around people, and every other aspect of his life. But once he came out, his father just gave up. After that day, his father’s nature changed. He stopped trying to get him to be his perfect successor. It almost felt as if he got too disappointed with him to bother with him anymore. And that made him feel as if he just lost everything. Since then, he has done everything in his power to be the son his father wanted him to be. He wants to show his father that him being gay isn’t his entire self but just a small part of him. 

“Aman sir? Mr. Tripathi is here,” his secretary’s voice breaks him out of his thoughts. When he looks at her, she gives him a sad smile most likely referring to his breakfast but he just waves her off. 

“Please don’t worry about that. And send him in,” Aman says. She nods and walks out of the door. A few seconds later, his father enters the office and looks around. Aman is just hit with the thought that this is his father’s first time in his office. He suddenly starts feeling nervous.  _ He hates him. He thinks it's too bright. I should have gone for a different color scheme. The furniture isn’t- _

“I like your office. I mean what you’ve done with it. The color looks beautiful and the curtains too. Well done, Aman,” Shankar Tripathi speaks up cutting off Aman’s thoughts. He looks up at his father in disbelief and goes speechless. 

“I um, thank you papa,” Aman stutters out. When he meets his father’s eyes, he notices that his father is looking at him. The voice in his head comes back.  _ He is judging the way I look. He thinks my outfit is too black. I should have taken off my earring. Oh my god, I’m so disappointing as a- _

“Aren’t you feeling hot? I mean it's more than 35 degrees outside and you’re wearing a suit jacket?” his father asks. 

“No, it's okay, I don't feel too warm,” he replies (read: lies). His father hums in reply. 

“I’ll believe you when you aren’t sweating buckets. Do you know you don’t have to be so formal with me? I’m your father, not your boss. Now lose that suit jacket before you die from a heat stroke or something,” his father says and Aman hurries to oblige. He takes off his suit jacket and places it neatly on the back of his chair. 

“Okay, that’s better,” Shankar says and Aman replies with an awkward smile. “You know, I thought I would get an emotional reunion after not seeing my only son for more than a year?”

“What?” Aman asks looking at his father with confusion clear on his face. 

“Don’t I at least deserve a hug from my son?” his father says and Aman walks over to him and lets himself melt in his father’s arms. They pull back a few seconds later and just stand there awkwardly not knowing where to go from there. Aman clears his throat. 

“So um, kaise aana hua?” he asks his father.  _ (so, why did you come?) _

“Kyun? Apne bete se milne aane ke liye bhi reason hona chahiye?” his father asks instead of replying.  _ (why? Do I need a reason to visit my son?) _

“Nahi, aisi koi baat nahi hai. I was just wondering,” Aman replies nervously.  _ (no, it's nothing like that) _

“Okay, but I did have a reason. I came here to get the papers ready for handing the company over to you,” his father says and Aman nods. “And to meet my future son-in-law,” 

“Future son-in-law? What?” Aman yells looking at his father with his eyes wide. Aman’s voice makes his father jump a little. 

“Yes, did you forget the condition?” his father asks. 

“What conditi- _ oh, _ ” Aman stops midway when he remembers the outlandish condition his very amazing grandfather put in his will.

“ _ Aman needs to be married by the age of 30 to gain his share of inheritance or his entire share will go into the trust fund the company owns,”  _ he hears the lawyer voice in his head. 

Aman places his head in his hands. How does one tell their father that his son’s love life is non-existent. He has dedicated his entire time and energy into this company. There was no way he could balance a relationship and his work life at the same time. He had to make a choice and he picked his work life. He had forgotten about this condition because he thought they weren’t serious about it. 

“Aman? Are you okay?” his father asks. Aman schools his face as to not give away his inner turmoil. 

“Um your son-in-law, the thing is-” 

“No, don’t tell me about him. I want to meet him. As soon as possible,” his father cuts him off. After that, his father changes the subject and they start talking about his work. But the question remains in the back of his head,  _ how do I get a husband in less than 2 months?  _

  
  
  
  


Kartik looks at the bills in front of him and places his head in his hands. His rent is due along with other utilities but his bank account is drained. He checked his emails and saw that no new commissions have been given to him. He hasn’t even heard back from all the jobs he applied to as well. With no jobs and commissions in his hand, the only option he has is to ask one of his friends for some money. His pride doesn’t allow him to do that, but the bills in front of him make him put his pride aside. 

When he decided to drop out of university where he was pursuing a law degree to work in a company as a comic book illustrator, he hadn’t expected his future to look like this. He thought he had an amazing job and a secure future. He was making his passion, his career and he couldn’t have been happier. But one day, the company fell and so did Kartik’s career. He couldn't afford to go back to university, and finding a job became a nightmare. So he started posting his work online and taking commissions while also picking up some jobs that came his way. 

Life was going on smoothly for him but there are days where he didn’t have commissions or jobs. In those times, he had friends who helped him. He never wants to take their help but sometimes he needs to because he has no other option and this was a time like that. He picks up all the bills in front of him and adds the amount. He realizes that he would need to ask somewhere around Rs. 4000 from someone. He is already dreading it but he has no other choice. Just as he is about to call his friend Devika, she enters his apartment with a bag of takeaway. 

When Devika sees Kartik with bills in front of him and the look on his face, she immediately realizes what’s going on. She places the bag of takeaway on the table and runs to hug him. Kartik melts into the hug and tries very hard not to break down and start sobbing. When they pull away, Devika cups Kartik’s face and tries to assure him. Kartik nods his head trying to tell her that he will be okay. 

“How much do you need?” she asks him. Kartik looks at her with tears in his eyes. 

“I have some savings. If I exclude that, I’m short for about 4000,” he tells her, his voice heavy. 

“I’ll transfer it. Don’t worry much okay?” Devika says and Kartik nods. “Okay, let’s move on from that. I actually came here to tell you about this amazing website I found yesterday,” 

“Thank you, Devi. I'll pay you back as soon as I can. And what website?” Kartik asks, his curiosity clear in his voice. 

“Well, it's a job-hunting website. There, they connect the employee and employer so they chat with each other before going into detail about the job. You know, like LinkedIn but with less pretentious fucks and a 90% job guarantee,” Devika says. 

“Wait really? I should check it out,” Kartik says. 

“Then what are you waiting for?” Devika says and makes Kartik open the link on his phone. Once the homepage is open, they read about the website. The website doesn't look shabby which assures Kartik a little. They also realize that they need to pay some money as a form of subscription. That nearly demotivates Kartik but one slap from Devika makes him change his mind. They open up an account for Kartik. He doesn’t pick a fancy job option, opening up the opportunity for any kind of job. 

“Kartik, I think you should add what kind of job you want. Leaving that open-ended might not end up well,” Devika says. 

“I can’t be too picky, Devi. I’ll take what I can get,” Kartik says, defeated. 

“What if you get offered to be a stripper or something? Not that there’s anything wrong with being a stripper,” Devika says and Kartik laughs. 

“I think I’d make a pretty good stripper,” Kartik answers in between his laughs. 

“Okay, you do you. But do you think putting the LBGT+ club center as a job experience is a good idea? I mean that might ruin your chances because you know,” Devika says. 

“I don’t think anyone will jump to that conclusion. And even if they do, well I won’t work in a homophobic environment anyways,” Kartik answers with a shrug and Devika nods with a hum. 

“Well, your profile is done. Let’s wait to hear from some employers now,” Devika says excitedly. 

_ Let’s hope for the best now.  _ Kartik thinks and prays to every god in existence that this works out. 

  
  
  
  


Aman is at his office trying to drown himself in work so he doesn’t have to think about the condition. But that thought doesn’t leave his mind no matter how hard he tries.  _ How do I get a husband? Maybe it's time to download Tinder or something.  _ He thinks and picks up his phone. As he opens up the app store, his secretary enters his office. 

“Sir, it's 8 pm, aren’t you done yet?” she asks as politely as she can. He knows she must be annoyed because she needs to stay in the office as long as Aman is here. 

“Yeah, no I’m done,” he says and pretends to pack up his stuff. 

“I know you are stressed about the condition of the will,” his secretary says which makes him stop in his tracks. “Do you have a solution for it yet?” 

“I’m thinking of trying out a dating app?” he says but it comes out more like a question. 

“You are looking for a husband, not a hookup,” she says. 

“Then what other option do I have? I can’t go out because of my responsibilities, I don't have any ‘mutual friends link’. So what am I supposed to do?” Aman asks frustrated. 

“Have you ever heard of a contract marriage?” she asks and Aman looks at her like she just discovered the cure for cancer. 

“Oh my god, you are a genius. If I do a contract marriage, I wouldn’t have to worry about trying to make it work and I can focus on work while also getting my share of the inheritance. Why didn’t I think of it before?” Aman says this all in one breath and his secretary is kind of concerned for him. 

“You are welcome,” she says smugly and offers him some water. 

“Now all I need to do is find someone who will agree to it. Wait, where do I find someone?” Aman starts panicking again. 

“Okay, first of all, calm down and drink the water,” she orders. Aman scoffs at her but obliges. “Now, there is this website, it's where you’ll find people who are, let's say very desperate for jobs. So you can go on there and find someone on your own,” 

“A website? What is it?” he asks and she tells him. He opens up the link on his laptop and signs up for the website. He scrolls through the website which looks a little sketchy to him.  _ But as long as it gets the job done, I don’t care.  _ He thinks. 

  
“Can you look through the website once you’re home?” she whines. Aman smiles sheepishly at her and proceeds to actually pack up his stuff and get moving. On his drive back home, he can think of only one thing,  _ I hope it works out and I can get my share of the inheritance.  _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i have no patience so please enjoy!

A few days pass by and Kartik’s inbox is drier than the Sahara Desert. He approached some employers on his own but none of them reached back to him. Kartik has given up on all the hopes of finding a good job on this website.  _ Maybe I’m one of the 10% with no luck,  _ he thinks to himself. Even the jobs he applied for outside this website have ghosted him. At this point, he has no idea what he can do. 

He opens the website again, promising to himself that this is the last time he is opening it. Not like he promised that to himself three times already. But no one is there to judge him so he’ll do whatever his heart pleases. The website takes a while to open because of his shitty internet connection but once it opens, Kartik notices that his inbox has one message. His eyes go wide and he thanks whatever god there is for the message. He opens the message which is from someone named  _ AT93 _ and starts reading, 

  
  


**_Hello, Kartik (I’m going to assume that is what your name is),_ **

**_This request might sound a little weird to you but please read the entire thing and consider it once. My name is Aman (I can’t reveal my last name on this website due to privacy reasons but if you consider the offer I’ll give you all the details). My family owns a pretty successful business that is spread across various parts of the country. I have a 30% share in the total property that my family owns. But in order to get that, I need to get married before my 30th birthday which is less than 2 months away from now._ **

  
  


_ Okay, where is this dude going with this message?  _ Kartik thinks to himself. 

  
  


**_To make the long story short, I don’t have the time or the energy to maintain a relationship so the only option I have for right now is getting into a contract marriage. And that is where you come in. You see, I’m a man who is out to my family as a gay man so marrying a woman is totally out of the equation. And finding a guy who isn’t homophobic and just in the money is a nightmare. I have scrolled through 70 different profiles in the last few days but I couldn’t find anyone fit for the job until you. You have mentioned that you worked in the LGBT club center, so I can be assured that you aren’t homophobic._ **

**_So, if you can, please consider this offer. I’m ready to pay as much as needed. I don’t expect anything from you other than just pretending to be my husband in front of people (mainly my family). We can discuss the deal in more detail once I have your answer. I have given my number below so if you need to ask anything, please feel free to contact me on there._ **

**_I really hope to hear a positive response from your side._ **

  
  


_ Phew, this dude really wrote an essay in the inbox.  _ Kartik thinks. He takes a screenshot of the message and sends it to Devika with a bunch of question marks. A few seconds later his phone vibrates signaling a text. He opens his phone and reads the message from Devika. 

_ Devi <3: coming over. Eta 20 mins.  _

  
  


He closes his phone without responding to the text and waits for Devika to arrive. 

  
  


20 minutes later, Devika and Kartik are sitting on Kartik’s ratty couch which really needs a replacement because of how much it squeaks when people sit on it. They have scrolled through the message about 5 times already, each time they have the same reaction. 

“This has to be a joke right?” Kartik sighs out while Devika tries to google the number. 

“I would like to think so but then at the same time, this seems a little too specific to be a joke,” Devika says when her search brings no results. 

“What do I do now?” Kartik says and puts his head in his hands. Devika rubs his back soothingly and they stay quiet for some time. 

“I say, try meeting the guy once. If he shows up, you know the request is genuine. If he doesn’t, then well you can continue looking,” Devika says breaking the silence between them. 

“What if this guy is a serial killer who preys on young unassuming gay men? I’m too young to die,” Kartik cries out and Devika uses the hand that was rubbing his back to slap him. 

“This isn’t a serial killer movie. And if it’ll make you feel better than I’ll join you and watch you from afar. I’ll only intervene if I see the situation not ending well. How does that sound?” Devika says. 

“Okay, that sounds nice. But should I really consider this offer?” Kartik asks, clearly looking for reassurance. He has made too many life-changing decisions that haven’t ended up well for him. 

“I think you should. Because think of it like this, this guy, if genuine, is paying you whatever amount you ask for just for playing his husband in front of his family. Which means you have no extra work. It will give you time to focus on your career as an artist while also making easy money. I swear if it was me, I would have jumped on this opportunity,” Devika explains and Kartik understands her logic completely. It clears most of the doubts and insecurities he had about this “job” and gives him a confidence boost. 

“Okay, I’ll go for it. Thank you, Devika. I really don’t know what I’d do without you,” Kartik says and opens the dial-pad on his phone. He dials the number and puts the phone to his ear. He takes a deep breath when the first ring goes. After the second ring, Kartik hears a voice from the other side. 

“Hello?” the voice says. 

“Um hi, is this Aman?” Kartik asks nervously. 

“It is. And who are you?” the voice,  _ Aman’s voice _ , questions. 

“Uh, it's Kartik. From that um the job-hunting website?” Kartik stammers out. 

“Oh, so your name really is Kartik?” Aman answers back cheerfully. 

“Yeah, i’m Kartik. Kartik Singh,” 

“It’s very nice to hear from you, Kartik Singh,” Aman answers. Kartik hasn’t seen the man yet but he can still imagine the smile on his face as he said that. “If you have this number then I’m guessing you read my message? So, did you consider the offer?” 

“I’m working on it. But there’s this thing right. I’m kind of scared that this might end up being a scam or you might end up being a serial killer so I was just wondering if we could meet?” Kartik says. Devika, who is sitting quietly next to him all this time just stands and starts pacing. She looks at him and whisper-yells, “you really had to call him a serial killer? Smooth Kartik.” as he is about to reply, he hears a laugh from the other side. 

“I can assure you that I’m not a serial killer nor is this a scam. But I’m down for a meeting before we discuss the actual details for the contract. Just tell me when and where,” Aman answers. Kartik covers his phone speaker and asks Devika, “when and where?” Devika thinks for a moment before saying, “Sozin’s cafe, tomorrow at 1:30 pm?” Kartik nods and removes his hand from the speaker. 

“Can we do it tomorrow? 1:30 pm at Sozin’s cafe?” 

“Sozin’s cafe, yeah I have heard of it. Sure, see you there. 1:30 sharp,” 

“Wait wait, how will I recognize you?” Kartik asks. 

“Hmm, I’ll be wearing a black button-down with grey pants? Is that enough?” Aman says. 

“Yeah, I guess. I’ll wear a checkered shirt with some jeans. Also, I have a nose ring so that’s a very distinct feature I guess?” 

“Okay, Kartik Singh with a nose ring. I’ll see you tomorrow,” 

“Um yeah bye. I’ll see you there, Aman,” Kartik says and ends the call. 

“Sozin’s cafe, 1:15 pm. See you there,” Devika says and picks up her bag, leaving Kartik alone with his thoughts. 

  
  
  
  


The next day, Kartik sits on the table looking at the watch placed on top of the door telling him that it's 1:30 pm. Devika is sitting on the far corner of the restaurant from where she has a good look on the table where Kartik is sitting. Kartik looks down on his phone for a second to see if Aman has texted him when he feels the presence of someone sitting in front of him. 

“Hello Kartik Singh with a nose ring,” the man answers and Kartik looks up. In front of him sits a man who is dressed in a black button-down shirt. His hair is done neatly and his beard looks well maintained and extremely soft. The man has a soft smile on his face. Kartik also notices that the man has one of his ears pierced and it sort of feels like it adds a little something to this man’s personality. 

“Um hi, Aman?” Kartik says which ends up coming out like a question. 

“Aman Tripathi. It’s really nice to meet you,” he says and extends his face for a handshake that Kartik takes. 

“It’s um nice to meet you too,” Kartik answers and lets go of Aman’s hand. The two sit in silence for some time not knowing where to go from there. The waiter comes and they both give their order. 

“Sooo, on your profile, you mentioned you were a comic book illustrator?” Aman asks, trying to make a small conversation while they wait for their food. 

“Yeah, I am. I worked for this company for some time. The pay was amazing but then slowly the market for comics went down and the company had to be closed,” Kartik says. He wants to slap himself for oversharing. 

“Oh, i’m so sorry to hear that. I was a huge comic book fanatic as a child but then adulthood happened, responsibilities and stuff. I haven’t picked up a comic in years,” Aman says. Just then, the waiter brings their food and both of them thank him. 

“I know how that feels. But it is what it is. In hindsight, i shouldn’t have quit university for the job but what’s done is done,” Kartik says ruefully and Aman nods. “So tell me more about this deal,” 

“So my grandfather, he was a nice man. But he was too conservative and old fashioned. He believed that all his children should be married and at least have one child by the age of 30 so he put this condition in his will for everyone. One of my uncles didn’t want to live his life according to my grandfather so he just disconnected from the family’s business and started his own company. I thought that after losing a family member, they would get rid of this condition but that didn’t happen. So now, I have no other choice,” Aman explains and Kartik nods. 

“So do your children have to go through the same thing?” Kartik asks out of curiosity. 

“I have never given that any thought. Well, to be honest, I have never really given the idea of having a family any thought. Relationships, marriage, kids, these have never crossed my mind. I think I have lived most of my life trying to prepare myself for taking over the company,” Aman says. 

“So in simple terms, you are a workaholic?” Kartik concludes. 

“I guess you can say that,” Aman answers with a laugh. Once again, they fall into silence. But this time, the silence is comfortable. Kartik is lost in his thoughts. He is trying to weigh the pros and cons of this arrangement in his mind and so far the pros have outweighed the cons. He looks over to the table where Devika is sitting, looking in their direction while casually sipping on her iced tea. She gives Kartik a thumbs up when she sees him looking at her. 

“So, have you made your decision yet? I mean it’s okay if you need a little more time. But I hope you can figure it out soon because we only have about 46 days until my 30th birthday and I need to get married before that,” Aman says. 

“I'm not sure, I think I need to talk to a few people before making this decision. I mean, it's a huge life decision,” Kartik says and Aman nods. Aman’s phone, which is placed on the table, starts ringing and Aman excuses himself. Kartik picks up his own phone and opens it to text Devika. 

_ Me: heLP WHAT DO I DO?  _

_ Devi <3: idk what you guys are talking ab. is he asking for your answer rn?  _

_ Me: no, i said i need to talk to someone before i make the decision _

  
  


He puts his phone back in its place and waits for Aman to come back. Aman practically runs back to the table and says, “I need to go back to the office, please let me know your answer as soon as possible so I can get the contract ready,” Aman says and Kartik nods. Aman asks for the bill and the waiter rushes with it. Aman places his card with the bill and hands it over to the waiter. “Also, clear up the bill for that table over there too,” Aman says and points at the table  _ where Devika is.  _

Kartik looks at him with his eyes wide and goes to explain it but Aman just stops him and says, “It’s okay, I would do the same if I was in your place. And it’s really nice of your friend to accompany you. Please tell her a thank you from my side for protecting my future husband,” he says with a wink. Kartik’s brain stops functioning at that and he doesn’t notice when Aman leaves his spot and Devika replaces him until she snaps her fingers on his face. 

“Did he just pay my bill?” Devika says looking at Kartik with her eyes wide. 

“He said to thank you for protecting his future husband,” Kartik answers, still in a trance. 

“Wait, did you really give him your answer already?” Devika asks. 

“No, I didn’t. But I guess he figured out what my answer is going to be,” 

“Are you really going to say yes?” 

“I think I am,” Kartik answers and looks at Devika with a determined expression. 

“Well, congratulations on getting engaged, Kartik,” Devika says. Her voice giving away her disbelief. 

“Congratulations, indeed,” he says in the same tone. Just then, his phone vibrates. He opens and sees its a location pin that was sent to him by Aman with a message that reads, 

_ Might be a killer: meet you here at 11:00 am, tomorrow. bring all the important documents for the contract.  _

_ Might be a killer: also dress appropriately, you’re gonna meet your future “father-in-law” after the contract is done _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thoughts?   
> also this was going to longer than this but i didn't want to put all of that in one chapter so it has been divided into 2 parts and the second part is coming ASAP
> 
> anyways, thank you so much for reading, i'll see you soon <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not your usual meet the parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im having way too fun writing this so i'm gonna update as frequently as i can. i hope you guys don't mind ❤️
> 
> anyways, this is heavily unedited so please be kind to me. Enjoy!

The next day, Kartik is nervously pacing around the living room in his shoebox apartment trying to practice the speech he is going to give to Aman’s father. He keeps on forgetting little details in the speech he wrote and that scares him. From the way, Aman spoke about his father, he made it seem like he was an extremely stern and well-polished man. Kartik knew, if he made a single mistake, he would be doomed. 

“Hello, sir. My name is Kartik Singh. I recently turned 30. I’m a comic book illustrator. I’m currently out of a job but I'm looking for one. I don’t really have a family because my mom died when I was pretty young and well my dad was homophobic. But it's okay, I have lived my life pretty well alone and I have amazing friends who are like family to me. I really hope you’ll accept me into your family as you son-in-law,” Kartik says and looks at Devika who is just sitting on his couch witnessing his breakdown while munching on her bag of chips. He raises his eyebrow in question to ask her what she thought of his speech. 

“You are seriously asking what I thought of the speech that I have heard like 50 times since last night? I said it before, I'll say it again, mentioning you’re out of a job isn’t the brightest idea. In fact, this entire speech is a bad idea. Just go with the flow and it’ll work fine,” Devika advises. 

“And I have the same answer for you, I can't afford to go with the flow. This is my last chance at making my life better, I can't lose it. So I need to be as perfect as I can,” Kartik says. He sits next to her on the couch and puts his head in his hands. Devika just pats his head in reassurance. Just then, the alarm he set starts blaring. He looks at her and she gives him a thumbs up. He walks into his bedroom and gives himself one final look in the mirror.  I can do this,  he thinks and smiles before walking out. 

  
  
  
  


When Kartik arrives at the location, he looks around trying to find the man who asked him to come here. He spots Aman near the door, looking down on his phone. He looks extremely good in his perfectly fitted suit with his perfectly maintained hair and beard. It makes Kartik look down on his own ill-fitted button-down shirt and jeans. He wants to run back home and change immediately. But before he can make a run for it, Aman looks up from his phone and spots him. He gives Kartik a bright smile and a wave that Kartik returns awkwardly. Seeing that there is no way back from this, he starts walking towards where Aman is standing. 

“Good morning, Kartik. How are you doing?” Aman asks.

“I’m good yeah, you?” Kartik asks. He doesn’t know why he’s so awkward around the man. He needs to act a little more confident if he wants to be convincing. 

“I’m doing pretty well, thank you,” Aman answers. “So are you ready?” 

Kartik takes a deep breath and nods. “Are we meeting your dad here?” 

“No, my dad’s not here. We are going to discuss the contract first, then if we agree with everything, we can go ahead with meeting my dad,” Aman says and starts leading Kartik towards the door. As the two are walking inside, the people stand and greet Aman which he returns politely. He even stops at certain points to make small conversations with people.  He’s clearly a people’s person,  Kartik thinks. They finally come to a stop at a door. On the door is a nameplate that reads “ Ms. Amna Sharma”.  Aman knocks on the door and from the inside, a voice replies, “come in.” Aman pushes the door open and lets Kartik in first. 

Kartik walks inside the fancy office and looks around. He is extremely impressed with the way it’s designed. Even the view from the office is extremely pleasing to the eye. He only snaps out of his admiration daze when someone clears their throat. He looks at the direction where the noise came from and sees Aman sitting in front of a beautiful woman who is arranging some papers. 

“He’s cute,” the woman says and hands the papers. Aman just laughs in reply and starts reading through the papers. Kartik rubs his hand on the back of his neck and makes his way towards the chair next to Aman and sits on it. 

“Your office is extremely beautiful, ma’am,” Kartik compliments and the woman gives him a smile. 

“Please call me Amna. Ma’am sounds way too formal,” she says. 

“I’m Kartik,” he introduces himself. 

“Nice to meet you, Kartik. Now can we get into the contract?” she asks. Both Aman and Kartik nod. She hands Kartik some papers too and he looks at them.  It's the contract papers . She picks up her papers and Kartik assumes it must be her copy. 

“So basic things at the start, the term of the contract is one year. It can be extended if required but you will need to give us a formal notice one month before,” she says and looks up at them. Both of them nod in agreement. 

“Next thing, Party A aka Mr. Tripathi has decided to pay 2 lakh rupees per month till the end of the contract. Party B aka Mr. Singh, is that okay?” she asks. Kartik’s brain stops functioning.  They are paying me 2 LAKHS FOR DOING NOTHING? 

“I agree, it's perfect. Thank you,” Kartik says immediately which makes both of them laugh. 

“That’s settled too,” Amna nods. “Next thing, if at any point, any of you wish to end the contract, you have the permission if the reason is valid. Mr. Singh will be compensated accordingly no matter who ends the contract,” she says. Kartik looks at Aman who just gives him a smile and a nod. 

“Even if it ends badly?” Kartik asks. 

“Yes, Mr. Singh. Mr. Tripathi asked for this condition to be added himself,” Amna tells him. 

“I’m okay with it,” Kartik shrugs. 

“Lastly, if you want to make something more out of this arrangement, if you catch my drift, you can do that. Even if you wish to date other people during the one year time period, you can as long as it creates no problem in this arrangement. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask,” Amna says and looks at both of them. Kartik’s brain is still stuck at the fact that he is getting paid 2 lakhs for doing nothing. 

“I guess you guys don’t have any other questions. That’s amazing. Now, I have marked the places where you need to sign. If you need more time than please take it. Read the contract carefully if needed. If not, here are the pens,” Amna says and points at the box where the pens are. Kartik looks at Aman, who is looking back at him with his eyebrows raised in question. Kartik shakes his head and picks up one of the pens. He signs all the places where his signature is required and hands it to Amna. Aman quickly follows and hands his copy as well. 

“Okay, I'll have these finalized by tomorrow. Should I send it to your office, Aman?” she asks. 

“Yes, that would be appreciated. Thank you so much for this, Amna,” Aman says. They exchange more thank yous and goodbyes before Aman and Kartik leave her office. 

“Ready to meet Mr. Shankar Tripathi?” Aman asks once they are out of the building. 

“Ready as I ever will be,” Kartik says with a deep breath. They make their way towards the car where Aman opens the passenger side’s door for him. Kartik takes a seat and watches Aman run towards the other side and sit on the driver’s side. 

“Don’t you have a driver?” Kartik asks Aman. 

“I do, but I thought it would be better if I didn’t bring him today. Would be kind of weird if I suddenly introduced a fiancé,” Aman says and Kartik understands his point. 

“Okay, I agree,” Kartik says before Aman starts driving. 

  
  
  
  


“Why are we at a hotel?” Kartik asks, confused. 

“To meet my dad?” Aman answers equally confused. 

“At a hotel?” Kartik asks. 

“This is where he is staying so yes,” Aman answers and starts walking towards the entrance. 

“Do you stay here as well?” Kartik asks because he is seriously confused. 

“No, I have an apartment,” Aman answers. 

“Then why is your dad staying here?” Kartik asks. 

“What do you mean? Whenever he comes to Delhi, he stays here,” Aman answers. 

“He doesn’t stay at your apartment?” Kartik asks. 

“He doesn’t, why would he?” Aman answers to him. The two walk inside the hotel and Aman makes his way towards the reception. “Hello, can you tell Mr. Shankar Tripathi that his son is here?” 

“What do you mean by ‘why would he?’ don’t you guys stay over at each other’s homes?” Kartik asks. Aman finally realizes what Kartik is talking about and smiles. 

“We do. My parents don’t. Never have,” Aman says with a shrug. 

“Sir, he is waiting for you. Room number 5046,” the receptionist says. Aman nods and thanks her before leading Kartik towards the elevator. 

“Does he have something against staying at your apartment?” Kartik asks as they enter the elevator. Aman presses the floor number before replying, “he doesn’t have anything against it. He just doesn’t like barging into anybody’s home when he is fully capable of arranging his own living,” 

When he doesn’t get a reply for some time, he looks over at Kartik who is staring at Aman like he just saw a ghost. When he finally snaps out of that daze, he says, “more people should be like your dad. I mean, if it were my relatives, not like I have any of them left anymore, they would show up uninvited and go ‘oh yeh lo hum toh aagaye, socha pehele bata ke kya karange? Apna hi toh ghar hai’ and I’m like ‘no, this isn’t your home. It's mine, get out,’” Kartik says which makes Aman burst out in laughter. Just then the elevator doors open and they both walk out with Aman still laughing. They walk over to the door and Aman finally calms down a little.  (Oh see we came, we thought why should we let you know? After all, it’s our home right?)

Once Aman knocks on the door, Kartik starts panicking. He remembers the entire speech in his mind and mentally prepares himself. He is going to sell himself to this man and win his acceptance. He can’t fuck this up. Just then, he feels someone take his hands in their own. He looks and sees Aman is holding his hand. When he looks up at Aman, he gives Kartik a reassuring smile and his hand a squeeze. Kartik smiles back in return and the door opens. 

Standing in front of him is a man who looks like he is in his early fifties. He is dressed pretty casually compared to him and Aman. He also has a bright smile on his face which reminds him a lot of Aman’s smile so he puts two and two together.  This is Aman’s dad.  Before he can introduce himself and deliver the incredible speech he prepared, the man walks inside. Aman follows suit which means that Kartik is supposed to do the same. 

Once inside, Kartik takes a deep breath and goes to introduce himself again only to be cut off by the man who says, “I approve of you two,” 

Kartik looks at the man with his eyes wide and then looks at Aman who is looking at him with the same expression. Out of all the ways he expected this meeting to go, this wasn’t one of them. He thought he would have to do way more work than this but this was surprisingly easier. The man didn’t even give him a chance to introduce himself. 

“So beta, tell me. What’s your name?” the man asks. “Also, why are you both standing? Please sit down,” Aman and Kartik oblige. They sit on the sofa that is placed in one corner of the room. 

“I’m Kartik, Kartik Singh. It's really nice to meet you, sir,” Kartik says and extended his hand towards the man. He just looks at it as if it's a foreign object. 

“A handshake? From my son-in-law?” he slaps the hand away and pulls Kartik into a hug. Kartik’s eyes go wide and he looks at Aman who is in a state of shock. He looks like he is seconds away from passing out because of the shock. After some time, the man pulls away and Kartik returns to his spot still shocked. “And don’t call me sir. It's either papa or papaji. I would prefer papa though,” 

“Okay, papa,” Kartik replies. Both him and Aman are extremely confused about everything that is happening right now. Shankar finally understands what’s wrong and laughs. 

“I know what you guys are wondering, how did I agree without even knowing anything about you? Well, if Aman has chosen you, there must be a reason behind it right? I trust Aman’s choice. All that matters to me is Aman’s happiness. And the way he was laughing when you guys came in, I can see my boy is very happy with you,” Papa says. Each word he says hits Kartik. He isn’t what this man thinks he is. He is just here because of the money. He doesn’t love his son. He doesn’t make Aman happy like this man thinks he does. 

“Papa, thank you so much,” Aman finally speaks. His voice sounds breathless. 

“Don’t thank me, beta. It's the bare minimum. As long as you are happy, I'm happy,” he says. “Anyways, Kartik. What do you do? What do your parents do?” 

“I’m a comic book illustrator. And my parents, well, my mom died when I was six years old. And my dad, kicked me out because I was gay. Haven’t seen him in years,” Kartik shrugs. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry beta. You deserve so much better. And we are going to give you that. Welcome to the family,” Shankar says. Kartik is seconds away from crying. He has always longed for a feeling like this. But this isn’t how he expected it to be. He didn’t expect to get this familiarity from  his fake husband’s family. 

“Thank you so much, papa. You have no idea what that means to me,” Kartik says sincerely. 

“Okay enough about that. Now let’s discuss the wedding, shall we?” Shankar says.

“Yeah, about that. We were thinking, we will go to the marriage registration office sometime this week, and get married at court. We just need two witnesses. Kartik’s witness will be his best friend and I was thinking, you could be mine?” Aman explains. Kartik was unaware of this plan but it does sound good. He doesn’t have to waste much time and money. But Shankar looks at Aman as if he just threatened to kill him. “Or is there a problem?” Aman asks when he notices the look on his father’s face. 

“Aman, how many children do I have?” Shankar asks. 

“Just me?” Aman answers. 

“So why did you make the plan of getting married at a court? Did you really think I would let you do that?” Shankar asks. 

“But papa-”

“No if or buts. I’m calling Panditji and getting a date fixed. We all are going to Allahabad for your wedding. For a big fat Indian wedding,” Shankar declares leaving no room for an argument from any of their sides. 

  
  
  


“Well there goes our entire plan,” Aman says once they walk out of the hotel towards the parking lot. 

“What are we going to do now?” Kartik asks. 

“There’s nothing we can do other than go to Allahabad and be subjected to my family's weirdness,” Aman answers with a grimace. 

“It can’t be that bad, right?” Kartik asks when he notices Aman’s expression. 

“I honestly have no idea,” Aman sighs. “Anyways, now that my family is involved, we need to go into more detail about the plan. Things about how we met, how we started dating and other stuff because we are going to be bombarded by the Tripathi cousins,” 

“Yay, sounds so much fun,” Kartik says sarcastically and Aman laughs. 

“Well, if you are free tomorrow, let’s meet up,” Aman says. 

“Sozin’s cafe?” 

“11 am,” 

“Done,” 

“Done,” 

“See you tomorrow, Aman,” 

“See you tomorrow, Kartik Singh with a nose ring,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you expect the first meeting to go this way?  
> let me know what you guys thought of this, tyvm ❤️
> 
> till next time x


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discussions and photoshoots happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a little late but i hit a writer's block. but i managed to make this 3.2k words so im very proud.   
> this, much like the last one, is heavily unedited so please be kind to me!

Kartik is sitting on the table scrolling through his phone. He is waiting for Aman to arrive so they can start discussing whatever he wanted to discuss. He looks upon the clock placed at the door of the shop which reads 10:53 am. Just then, the door opens and walks in Aman who is dressed in his usual business attire with his hair and beard styled perfectly as always. He is looking around trying to spot Kartik so he just raises his hand and waves trying to catch Aman’s attention. Aman spots him and immediately runs over. 

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for long,” Aman says, taking a seat on the chair. 

“Nah, I came here like 5 minutes ago,” Kartik answers. He closes his phone and places it on the table. Aman waves the waiter over and gives their order. 

“Is your best friend here today?” Aman asks teasingly and Kartik glares at him. Aman just laughs in reply. 

“Anyways, what do we need to discuss?” Kartik asks. 

“Okay, you know how when people actually start dating, they have these things like how they first met, their first date, anniversary, who said the three words first, stuff like that,” Aman explains. 

“So we need to make up stories now?” Kartik sighs. 

“Not like we have any other options now,” Aman shrugs. “So first things first, how did we first meet?”

“Have you given any thought to that?” Kartik asks while he tries to go through possible ideas of how the first meeting could have been for them. 

“I was just thinking we could say a mutual friend set us up, how does that sound?” Aman asks. Kartik thinks for a moment when he is suddenly struck with an idea. 

“Do you know every year the central mall holds this comic convention where a lot of artists, cosplayers, companies, etc come to showcase their work?” Kartik says. Aman looks at him as if he just grew ten heads. 

“I don’t know how that’s relevant to what we are discussing but yes I knew about it. I attended it, I think two years ago,” Aman says, his confusion very evident. 

“Wait really?” Kartik asks in disbelief. 

“Yeah, actually I was there for some business work. Got some free time so I decided to take a look. I got a few pictures with the cosplayers,” Aman explains. He has a glint in his eyes which looks like he’s remembering the day.

“Really? Then that’s perfect. Well you see, I was one of those artists who went to comic con. So we can just say, it was at the convention. You really liked my work, by that I mean me, so you asked me out and things progressed from there,” Kartik says excitedly while Aman just sits there questioning his existence. 

“Why would we go with this idea instead of the simple ‘a mutual friend set us up’?” Aman asks.

“For the dramatics, dear future husband. Your family will eat it up,” Aman’s face breaks into a tiny smile when Kartik calls him his husband.

“I still think we should go with a mutual friend,” Aman says. 

“But just think about it, the idea of falling for me because of my work sounds so much better than saying ‘yeah I went out with him because a friend told me to’” Kartik says. 

“Okay okay, we will go with your idea of ‘I fell for his work before I fell for him’” Aman says dramatically which makes Kartik laugh out loud. The waiter who brings their order to the table looks at him weirdly which makes Kartik a little self-conscious so he calms down. 

“What’s next?” Kartik asks, taking a sip of his iced tea. 

“The first date, when and where?” Aman asks. 

“Do you remember the date for comic con?” Kartik says. 

“Um, January twenty-first?” Aman asks, confused. 

“Sozin’s cafe, January 21st. The first date,” Kartik says. 

“Nothing dramatic here?” Aman asks. 

“Well, you can add the fact that I brought Devika with me because I thought you might be a serial killer?” Kartik suggests. 

“I am so doing that,” Aman says with an evil look on his face. Kartik might have brought this upon himself, but seeing the look on Aman’s face is very worth it. 

“Next?” Kartik asks. 

“Anniversary?” Aman asks. 

“Pick a random date near the time of the first date,” 

“February sixth?” 

“That’s it,” Kartik says.

“Who said the ‘I love you’ first?” Aman asks. 

“You did, just now,” Kartik says with a shrug. 

“Not that, I mean-” 

“We’ll just say you did,” 

“Fine,” Aman says with a huff. 

“Okay, what else?” Kartik asks. 

“How did we decide to get married? Like the proposal and stuff?” Aman asks. 

“How about we say that we had just started talking about getting married when your father visited us so we didn’t really have a proposal thingy? I mean that’s not exactly a lie,” Kartik says. 

“Do you write stories in your free time?” Aman asks. He is amazed at how easy it is for Kartik to come up with scenarios while he literally lost sleep over trying to come up with a first meeting story only to come up with “a mutual friend set us up” story. 

“I just have a really creative mind,” Kartik answers, flipping back his imaginary long hair which makes Aman laugh.

“What’s next?” Kartik asks. Instead of answering, Aman just picks up his phone and snaps a picture of Kartik. Kartik, when he realizes what Aman just did, looks at him weirdly. 

“This is one of the many pictures we have to take,” Aman says. 

“Pictures?” Kartik asks confusedly. 

“Yes, pictures. Wouldn’t it be weird to be in a relationship with someone for 2 years and have zero pictures of them on your phone?” Aman asks and Kartik understands his point of view. 

“Okay, you have a point. But how can we do an entire photoshoot in one outfit?” Kartik asks. 

“Well, we’ll just have to go through many costume changes in one day,” Aman answers with a shrug. 

“That sounds so much fun,” Kartik says sarcastically. 

“Tell me about it,” Aman sighs. He goes to take a bite out of his food and Kartik tries to sneakily take a picture of him but gets caught. From there, the two spend the rest of the time taking weird pictures of each other and laughing instead of focusing on their food. 

“Okay, but we need pictures at each other’s apartments as well,” Aman says trying to calm down so he can discuss the photoshoot in more detail. 

“We can do that. But when?” Kartik asks. 

“Tomorrow? We need to do everything as soon as possible because my father is going to spring the marriage date on us at any moment and we need to be prepared,” Aman explains. 

“Okay, I can do it tomorrow,” Kartik says with a nod. He once again picks up his phone and starts snapping pictures of Aman making him laugh and do the same. 

By the time, they are ready to leave the restaurant, their gallery is filled with pictures of each other. 

  
  
  


Kartik walks into his apartment and looks around. All he sees is a mess. His clothes are thrown around randomly in all the spots of the house. His ugly mismatched furniture looking as if it hadn’t been cleaned in ages. His bed unmade and his kitchen looking as if a tornado passed by.  _ Damn, I’m really not getting any sleep tonight.  _ Kartik thinks and picks up his cleaning supplies. 

4 hours later, his apartment looks like a brand new place. The floors are shining, the kitchen looks untouched, his bedroom and other parts of his apartment looking as if no one even lives there. He is extremely satisfied with how well his apartment looks in such less time. He thinks of rewarding himself and orders a large pizza with some beer. He decides to invite Devika over just to show off.

30 minutes later, both Devika and the pizza are sitting on his couch. He picks up a slice and takes a bite out of it while Devika looks at him suspiciously. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Kartik says swallowing his food. 

“I was just thinking, what made you clean your entire apartment?” Devika asks. 

“What do you mean? Can’t I randomly have a burst of inspiration?” Kartik asks. 

“We both know you can’t. So spill,” Devika says. Kartik pouts before groaning when he realizes that Devika isn’t letting this slip. 

“Amaniscomingover,” Kartik says in one breath. 

“Slower,” Devika says. 

“Aman is coming over,” Kartik sighs and takes a sip of his beer. 

“Oh, so the sugar daddy is coming here? Interesting. Should I stay away?” Kartik chokes on his beer when Devika says that. He coughs for some time while Devika just sits there waiting for him to calm down.

“He’s not my sugar daddy, ew. And no. He is coming over because we are having a ‘photoshoot,'” Kartik says when he is finally able to breathe. 

“Is he making you do modeling now?” Devika asks confused. 

“Model-what? No. He just said it would be weird if we say we've been dating for a long time and have no pictures of each other,” Kartik explains and Devika nods. 

“That does strangely make sense. So what, are you guys going to get a professional to do that?” Devika asks. Kartik realizes that he didn’t discuss this matter with Aman. 

“Wait, let me ask him,” Kartik says and pulls out his phone. 

  
  


_ Me: So for that photoshoot, are we getting a professional?  _

His phone immediately vibrates signaling a message. 

_ future husband???: i was just about to text you to ask the exact same thing lol  _

_ future husband???: but imo we shouldn’t do a prof bc it would be weird  _

_ future husband???: like what couple has a photographer following them all the time?  _

He reads the messages out loud and nods because Aman has a point. He looks at Devika who looks like she is having the same thought. 

_ Me: yeah that makes sense  _

“And if you guys need, I can take a few pictures of you so that you can have pictures together,” Devika suggests. Kartik nods and sends the same suggestion to Aman who also agrees to that. 

_ future husband???: okay now that’s settled.  _

_ future husband???: do you want to start with my apartment or yours? _

_ Me: we could start with mine?  _

_ future husband???: sure, what’s your address? And at 12 pm? _

_ Me: *location pin* _

_ Me: sure! _

_ future husband???: see you there! (: _

Kartik replies with a thumbs-up emoji and goes back to enjoying his well-deserved pizza.

  
  
  


The next day, Kartik is sitting on his couch waiting for Aman to arrive. He got a text from the man saying that he’ll be there in about 30 minutes. Devika said that she’ll be with them in about an hour. So he is all alone. He laid out a few different t-shirts and jeans so he could change into them during their photoshoot. A few minutes later, the doorbell rings and Kartik opens the door. Standing there is Aman, holding a bouquet of flowers (Kartik doesn’t know what those are called) with a bright smile on his face. 

“Hi,” Aman says and hands the flowers to Kartik. Kartik takes the flowers and leads him inside. He feels a little insecure about his shoebox apartment but when he looks at Aman’s face, he doesn’t see any judgment there which assures him a little. 

“Welcome to mi casa,” Kartik says. He runs to the kitchen and puts the flowers in a vase he got as a gift from one of his friends. 

“I like your apartment. It feels homely,” Aman says walking into the kitchen. That makes all of Kartik’s insecurities about his apartment fly away and he feels a little calmer than before. 

“Thank you, Aman,” Kartik says with a smile. “Do you want anything? I have water, beer, tea, coffee, and soda,” 

“Water’s fine,” Aman answers and Kartik fills up a glass offering it to Aman who takes it with a small ‘thank you’. 

“So what’s the plan?” Kartik asks. 

“Taking pictures?” Aman replies. 

“Oh wow, thank you for enlightening me,” Kartik says sarcastically, rolling his eyes. 

“You’re welcome,” Aman says. “All jokes apart, we should just take pictures here and there doing things,”

“Things like what?” Kartik says and hears the snap of the camera. He looks at Aman with his eyes wide who just gives him an innocent smile. 

“Domestic things? Sleeping, eating, cooking?” Aman offers and Kartik groans. 

“What should we cook?” Kartik asks. 

“What do you mean? We don’t have to cook anything, we can just pretend,” Aman says.

“Pretend to cook? By shaking empty utensils?” Kartik glares at Aman who just smiles sheepishly. 

  
  


Half an hour and dozens of pictures later, both of them sit on the couch with a plate of chocolate chip cookies in between them and a cup of coffee in their hands. Both of them sigh and pick a cookie from the plate. Kartik takes the first bite from the cookie and spits it out immediately. 

“Why is it so salty?” Kartik says running to the kitchen and drinking water to wash out the salty taste. 

“What do you mean?” Aman says and takes a bite out of his cookie only to end up the same way as Kartik. 

“Did you add the sugar in the mixture?” Kartik asks because he told Aman to put the sugar in the mixture while he preheated the oven. 

“I did,” Aman says and points to a container. Kartik pulls out the container from the cabinet and opens the lid to see that the container contains  _ salt.  _

“Aman, are you sure you added the sugar from this container?” Kartik asks, giving the man a chance. 

“Yes, I have an amazing memory,” Aman boasts. 

“Then, do you know the difference between salt and sugar?” Kartik asks, glaring at the man. 

“Of course I do. Just because I’m rich doesn’t mean I can't cook,” Aman says defensively. 

“Then you idiot why did you add salt instead of sugar in the cookies?” Kartik says in a fake sweet voice. Aman’s eyes go wide and he snatches the container from Kartik’s hands to taste what’s inside. He makes a face when he realizes its salt.

“In my defense, I have everything labeled in my house,” Aman says. Just as Kartik is about to slap Aman in the head, they hear the click on a camera. They both look in the direction of where the noise came from and see Devika holding a camera trying her hardest not to laugh. 

“Honestly if I didn’t know the truth, I would assume you guys are married with the way you bicker,” Devika says walking towards them. The statement makes both of them blush a little. “But that is exactly what we want your family to think so that’s great,” Aman places the container on the counter and walks towards Devika. 

“Hi, I’m Aman Tripathi. We haven’t met formally,” Aman says and extends his hands towards Devika. 

“I’m Devika. That idiot’s best friend since childhood,” Devika says and takes Aman’s hand. 

“Why am I the idiot? I wasn’t the one who put salt in cookies instead of sugar,” Kartik says glaring at Aman who just smiles innocently. 

After the whole cookie incident, they start taking more pictures and continue talking in between. Once they are done with Kartik’s apartment, they go out to some of the places that people go to for dates and continue their photoshoot there. Devika leaves them after some time so she can go to work. By the evening, both of them are extremely tired. They decide to head to Aman’s apartment to finish up. They walk inside Aman’s apartment and Aman turns on the lights. Aman’s apartment is decorated beautifully but it feels cold. It doesn’t have the feeling that a home has in it. 

“And this is my apartment. Well soon to be ours but you get my point,” Aman says. He leads Kartik towards the living room and makes him sit on the extremely comfortable couch. The couch is very fluffy and Kartik feels as if he is going to melt in it. 

“It's really beautiful Aman,” Kartik compliments because the apartment really is beautiful despite not having the homely feeling. 

“Thank you, the interior decorators I hired did an amazing job,” Aman says with a smile. But the smile isn’t as bright as his normal smile. Kartik realizes that this place isn’t Aman’s home. This is just a place where he lives, just an apartment for him. There is no touch of  _ him  _ in this apartment. 

Then and there, Kartik makes it his goal to make this house  _ a home.  _

From there, they tiredly take some more pictures to end the photo shoot. By the time it's over, both of them are on the verge of passing out. Aman orders dinner for both. They talk about everything and nothing while they wait for dinner to arrive. 

“Is there anything else we need to do?” Kartik asks with a yawn. 

“I don’t think so,” Aman says. Kartik nods and yawns again. “Do you want to stay over?” Aman asks without thinking. Kartik looks at him, sleep evident in his eyes. “I mean you need to stay here after we get married, so you should get used to it. I have an extra room that I was thinking you could have after the wedding as yours. You know put your stuff there and decorate it however you like,” Aman continues rambling when Kartik doesn’t answer. 

“Okay, I don’t think I have the energy to go home anyway,” Kartik mumbles. 

“That’s settled. You can finish dinner and I’ll lend you some clothes,” Aman says and Kartik nods. 

After dinner, Aman shows Kartik to his future bedroom. He leaves Kartik to freshen up while he fetches some clothes that might fit him. He brings them to the bedroom and lays it out on the bed. He walks out of the room and into his bedroom. He changes into his nightsuit and lies on the bed. Despite being bone dead tired, he is unable to sleep. He picks up his phone and starts scrolling through all the pictures they took today. There are about 300 new pictures on his phone. He scrolls through them to see different pictures of Kartik laughing, goofing around, doing weird poses in places, and things like that. 

But the one that sticks out of him the most is a picture that he took where Kartik is playing with his nose ring. He can’t take his eyes off that picture. His fingers work against mind and he finds himself having a new home screen. He tries to convince himself that he is doing this just for the sake of his family.  _ It’s normal for couples to have each other as their home screen right? Yes, it is.  _ Aman thinks. Just then, his phone vibrates with a message. He opens the messaging app and sees a message from his father. 

_ Papa: congratulations Aman. we leave for Allahabad in three days so start getting ready. _

_ Papa: You and Kartik are getting married in 10 days.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the wedding shenanigans start from the next chapter   
> i hope you enjoyed this, please let me know your thoughts. 
> 
> see you soon x


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the family again.  
> Also wedding shopping and a party happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone, i bring to you part 1 of the wedding shenanigans. btw, im basing this wedding according to the ones i have seen in my own family so they might not be accurate.  
> also this is the longest chapter i have ever written by far  
> unedited like always, enjoy!

A week.

That is all Kartik has. A week before he becomes Mr. Kartik Tripathi. Or Aman becomes Aman Singh. Or they both become Mr. Singh-Tripathi. Or Tripathi-Singh. Or they just stick to their last names. Kartik really needs to discuss that with Aman. When Aman told him about their marriage date being fixed and them leaving in 3 days, Kartik freaked out. He thought he would be given a little more time to figure out stuff but no. Aman was right when he said that his dad would spring the marriage date on them out of nowhere. How they are planning on getting all the preparations done in such a short time is still beyond Kartik. 

Right now, they are on their way to the Tripathi family house. They landed about an hour ago and a driver picked them up to drive them home. As they get closer to the house, Kartik’s anxiety raises up. He has been avoiding thinking about meeting the whole family and just focused his attention on getting himself ready for the wedding. Devika, who is sitting next to him senses something’s wrong with and immediately takes his hand in her own. Kartik gives her a grateful smile. Her being there with him is a huge relief for him. 

Aman, who is sitting on Kartik’s other side, notices the two. He places a hand on Kartik’s knees and squeezes it, reassuringly. He and Aman have grown closer to each other in the past few days. They hadn't seen each other till this morning after Kartik left his apartment after spending the night there but the two constantly texted each other. Sometimes it was about their deal or sometimes it was just random messages. Kartik now considers Aman his friend which makes their deal easier. It would be easier to spend a year with a friend rather than spending it with a complete stranger. 

The car comes to stop and Shankar is the first one to get out. Aman opens the door and walks out, holding the door open for Kartik and Devika. Kartik finally is able to see the house. Calling it a house doesn’t do the amazing thing justice. It's a mansion, a beautiful mansion. Kartik looks at Devika who is looking back at him with her eyes wide. Kartik assumes his face is mirroring her expression when Aman laughs from beside them.

“Welcome to the Tripathi House,” Aman says with a smile. 

“House?” Kartik and Devika ask at the same time. 

“Okay, I know what you both are thinking. But for now, let's go inside before you get ambushed here,” Aman says and takes Kartik’s hand.  _ Oh right, pretending.  _

The three make their way inside the house where they can hear sounds of children running around and screaming, sounds of women singing and laughing, and sounds of older men laughing.  _ Typical Indian wedding setting,  _ Kartik thinks. Just then, someone runs out of the door and crashes into Aman. Aman lets go of Kartik's hand to hug the person who just crashed into him.

“Aman, I missed you so much,” A woman says, her voice breaking. 

“I missed you too, Goggle,” Aman says. His voice sounds like he is trying to stop himself from crying. Kartik just places a hand on Aman’s back and rubs to soothe him because it feels right.  _ Goggle? That’s a weird name.  _ Kartik thinks. They both pull away after a second and the woman looks at Kartik. She is wearing sunglasses which Kartik finds a little weird but he chooses to not to comment on it. 

“Is this him?” the woman asks and Aman nods with a smile. 

“Hi! I’m Goggle. Well, my actual name is Rajni but everyone just calls me Goggle. You can call me that too. You know you are jiju after all,” she says and engulfs Kartik in a tight hug. Kartik looks at Aman for help but he just raises his hand up in surrender. Kartik scowls at him but wraps his arms around the woman. 

“I’m Kartik,” he says once she pulls away from him. He points at Devika and says, “and that’s my best friend, Devika,” 

“It's really nice to meet you,” Goggle says and extends her hand towards Devika who takes it with a smile. “Ab chalo andar, bahot saari tayari baaki hai,” she says leading them inside. ( _ let’s go inside now. There’s too much work left) _

Once they walk in, everyone stops what they are doing and looks at the four of them. Most of them have their eyes set on Kartik.  _ They are probably judging how I look,  _ Kartik thinks. He looks down on the floor and starts playing with his nose ring, a nervous habit he developed after getting his nose pierced. Seeing everyone stare at them and Kartik shy away, Aman decides to take the matter into his own hands. He smiles at the group and takes Kartik’s free hand, entwining their fingers.

“Hi everyone. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” he says with a fake laugh. “By the way, this is my very amazing fiance, Kartik,” he says, raising their entwined hands. Kartik finally lets go of his nose ring and stares at Aman who just makes a silly face at him which in turn makes him giggle. They can hear a few of the family members cooing at them while the others just try to ignore the fact that their son brought in a  _ damad  _ instead of a  _ shudh sanskari bahu _ . 

“Out of my way,” he hears a woman’s voice and notices an older woman making her way towards them. The woman is wearing a beautiful purple sari with a huge necklace which looks like it is a diamond piece. Her hair styled to perfection and her posture radiating poshness.  _ So this must be Aman’s mom.  _ Kartik thinks in his head. She comes to stand in front of them and smiles at the two of them. Aman immediately moves to touch her feet but she stops him and wraps him in a tight hug. They pull away after some time and she cups his face, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. 

“Mera Guddu,” she says with a teary smile. ( _ my Guddu) _

“Mummy, ab toh Guddu mat bolo,” Aman whines which earns a small slap, and everyone laughs. ( _ mummy, please stop calling me Guddu) _

“Tu jitna bhi bada hoja, rahega toh mera pyaara Guddu hi,” she says. Kartik feels a pang in his chest seeing the two of them interact. His own mom died when he was very young. He doesn’t remember much of her but he knows that if she was still here, she would love him like Aman’s mom loves Aman. ( _ no matter how much you grow up, you’ll always be my lovely Guddu) _

“Maa, yeh Kartik hai,” Aman says pointing at Kartik which snaps him out of his thoughts. Kartik moves to touch her feet and she allows him. She gives him her blessings and hugs him once he is done. ( _ maa, this is Kartik) _

“Kitna sundar hai,” she says once they pull away and Kartik blushes. She smiles at him and calls out for someone. Kartik sees someone run up to her and hand her a plate. She takes the plate and lights up the diya that is on the plate. She does the aarti and pulls a chain from the plate. She hands the plate to Aman and gestures Kartik to bend a little. Once he does that, she places the chain around his neck and fastens it. Once she pulls away, Kartik stares at her with his eyes wide. ( _ he’s so beautiful) _

“Aise kya dekh rahe ho? Damad ghar aaya hai pehli baar,” she says as if that is supposed to be enough of a reason for her to give him a gold chain.  _ (why are you looking at me like that? It’s the first time my son-in-law came home) _

“Um thank you, ma’am,” Kartik says in disbelief. When she hears that, she makes a face and slaps Kartik on the cheek lightly. 

“Ma’am? Yeh ma’am kya hota hai? Maa bolo,” she says and Kartik nods. ( _ ma’am? What’s with this ma’am? Call me maa) _

“Thank you, maa,” Kartik says in a small voice and she smiles at him. 

“Chalo, saara din yehi rehene ka plan hai kya?” Kartik hears someone, a man‘s voice, say. ( _ let’s go, are you planning on sending the whole day here?) _

“Thik se swaagat toh karne do mere damad ka. Yeh Chaman bhi na,” Maa says with a laugh. After that, they make their way towards what Kartik assumes is the living room of the mansion. The entire mansion is extremely pleasing to Kartik’s artist eyes. He can really see the effort, the person who must have designed it, put into the house. ( _ let me welcome my son-in-law properly. This Chaman is too much) _

“Do you like it?” Aman, who is still holding his hand, asks. 

“Yeah, it’s designed beautifully,” Kartik says in awe, and Aman smiles. Once they get to the living room, Aman and Kartik sit on the couch and the rest of the people scatter around in different places. Kartik can see that everyone was preparing for the wedding before they came in. clothes, decoration pieces, jewelry, etc are scattered around the living room. 

“So the wedding is a week away,” Shankar speaks up. Everyone turns to look at him, waiting for him to continue. “The normal functions that we do during the wedding, like the mehendi, sangeet, haldi, etc will be done accordingly. But I was thinking, why don’t we organize a small party before the wedding? I was thinking of tomorrow night. That way, we will be able to announce Kartik as your son-in-law before the wedding? How does that sound?” 

He looks at the two of them waiting for their reply. Aman and Kartik just nod and agree because there is nothing else they can do. Shankar then informs them they will start the wedding shopping from tomorrow and they can rest till they have to meet for dinner. One of the servants comes and takes Kartik to his room. Kartik thanks him and looks around the room. He is once again in awe with the way the room is laid out. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he hears someone and jumps out of his skin at the suddenness. He turns to see Aman standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He walks over to the bed and sits on it. 

“It is,” Kartik agrees and sits next to him on the bed. 

“Are you nervous?” Aman asks after a moment of silence. 

“Oh totally not,” Kartik says sarcastically. 

“Okay, that was a dumb question,” 

“I would say so,” 

“Anyways, I just came here to see how you’re settling. I saw and now I'm going to leave,” Aman says and gets up from the bed. After that, he just stands there instead of leaving. 

“Do you need my permission to leave?” Kartik asks when Aman makes no move to leave. 

“No, I don't. I was just waiting for you to ask me something,” Aman shrugs and walks out leaving Kartik confused. 

“Wait, what was I supposed to ask you?” Kartik screams as Aman walks away. “That asshole,” 

  
  


The next day, they are making their way towards some boutique that was apparently extremely famous in Allahabad. They were going there to place the orders for Kartik and Aman’s sherwani for their wedding. Aman’s family told them that it wasn’t a good omen for the couple to see each other’s outfit before the wedding so right now, Kartik is browsing through his options with Devika while Aman is out there somewhere waiting for his turn to pick out. 

“I don’t know what’s the difference,” Kartik cries out in frustration. All the colors and fabrics seem similar to him. The only difference he can find is within the design but he doesn’t know what would look the best on him. 

“Do you have a color that you think looks the best on you?” the boutique lady asks. Even she is tired of Kartik’s tantrums but is trying to act professionally. 

“I don’t know?” Kartik says and looks at Devika for help. She just rolls her eyes and picks up the catalog. She flips through some of the pages until she finds the one she likes. She smiles and shows it to the lady whose eyes suddenly brighten up. She nods and moves to show it to Kartik only to be stopped by Devika. 

“Don’t. Just take his measurements, make the one I suggested. If he sees it, he’ll just continue whining about something,” Devika says. 

“Rude, but true,” Kartik sighs. 

“How about we do a simple green kurta and a yellow kurta for the mehendi and haldi function?” the lady asks and Kartik nods. 

“What about the sangeet?” Kartik asks. 

“About that, Ms. Rajni called. She said she wanted you to pick out a piece for Mr. Aman and Mr. Aman to do the same for you,” she says. Kartik wants to walk out of the boutique and into the oncoming traffic. There is no way he can do that. What if he picks out something and Aman hates it? What if Aman calls off the wedding because Kartik has no idea what Aman would like to wear? 

“Kartik, don’t panic. Just look through the catalog and imagine Aman wearing them. Trust on instinct on this one, okay?” Devika says and Kartik nods. He picks up the catalog and starts flipping through it. He looks at some sherwanis but he can’t see Aman in any of those. He asks the lady for other options and she tells him that she has some suit designs that Kartik might like. She brings out the one she was talking about and Kartik immediately falls in love with it. He can really see Aman wearing it. 

“This one. This is the one,” Kartik says. 

“That’s a great choice,” the lady says. Kartik knows she is extremely tired by this point and just wants this to be over. Kartik promises himself to talk to Aman about paying her a little extra for putting up with Kartik. Once they finish taking Kartik’s measurements, Kartik and Devika walk out of the boutique. Aman texted them a while ago saying that he is waiting in the car. They walk to where Aman has parked the car and get inside. 

“Okay, so my turn?” Aman asks and Kartik nods. Aman walks out of the car after letting them know that they can roam around if they don’t want to sit in the car. 

“Do you think he will like the suit I picked out?” Kartik asks once Aman is a good distance away from them. 

“Honestly Kartik, I don’t know him well enough. Why else do you think I let you pick the outfit?” Devika says and Kartik understands. They don’t talk for the rest of the time enjoying the silence. 

About half an hour later, Aman walks in the car with a huge grin on his face. Kartik looks at him and he just waves him off. Kartik shrugs and decides to let it go. 

“Is there anything else we need to do?” Kartik asks once Aman starts driving. 

“I don’t think so,” Aman says and Kartik sighs out in relief. “Ready for the party tonight?” 

“Uh, no,” Kartik says. He is extremely nervous about the party. Yesterday, he only met Aman’s close family that included his parents and his cousin Goggle despite everyone else being there. This party would be a formal introduction of Kartik to the entire Tripathi family and Kartik is not ready for it. 

“Well, you better be prepared,” Aman shrugs. 

“Thank you for your motivating words, Aman,” Kartik says sarcastically. 

“Always here to help,” Aman smiles. 

  
  
  
  


Kartik fixes his bow tie and gives himself a final look in the mirror. He is very pleased with how he looks tonight. He is wearing a silver sparkly coat with a white button-down and black pants. The outfit, he got as a gift from his very amazing  _ saali _ and was delivered to him about an hour ago with a note that read,  _ might not be perfect bc I had to get it done in a few hours but I hope you like it :), Goggle x.  _ The note alone made his heart burst with happiness. He styled his hair how he normally does but this time he puts in a little more effort. He smiles at his reflection because he really  _ really  _ loves how he looks. 

He hears a knock on his door which snaps him out of his self-admiring daze. He walks over to the door and pulls it open to see Devika there. She is wearing a beautiful red dress with her hair curled to perfection. She is also wearing a few jewelry pieces that Kartik has never seen her wear. 

“Aman’s sister sent this entire thing,” she says, gesturing to her outfit. Kartik smiles at the woman’s thoughtfulness and is really happy that he got her approval. He tells Devika to wait for him while he puts his shoes on. After that, he holds out his elbow and she wraps her hand around it. They both giggle and walk towards the living room where the party is happening. As they walk into the living room, Kartik spots Aman talking to someone in the corner. The man points Aman towards where Kartik and Devika are standing and he turns to look at them. 

Aman starts making his way over to where Kartik and Devika are standing and holds out his hand. Devika smiles at him and takes Kartik’s hand, placing it in Aman’s outstretched hand. Aman pulls Kartik towards him and wraps his arms around Kartik’s waist. Kartik wraps his own hands around Aman’s neck and smiles at him. 

“You look breathtaking,” Aman whispers. 

“Thank you,” Kartik whispers in the same voice. For a moment, Kartik forgets where they actually are and why they are there. For him, only him and Aman exist at the moment. No one else matters. Nothing else matters. 

Kartik is only brought back to reality when he hears Shankar’s loud voice. Aman pulls away from him and looks at his father who is standing at the very center of the room, Kartik follows the same. 

“Hello ladies and gentlemen. Today, we are here with a very important announcement for you. We are happy to announce that our son, Aman, has finally found his perfect match. And my god is the match perfect,” the man says and everyone laughs. 

“You know, when Aman was young, he was this very um let's say, colorful boy. He was always smiling, bright as the sunshine. Being in his presence, made everyone happy. But one thought was always in the back of my mind, how will he take over the company with his bright attitude? But then, Aman proved me wrong. He showed me that he is perfectly capable of becoming the perfect heir to the Tripathi throne,” he continues. 

“But I thought, he sacrificed the happy, bright boy to become the perfect heir. Well I thought that until I saw him with my son-in-law. I heard my son laugh before I even saw the boy who made my son laugh. And at that moment I decided, no one else will be my son-in-law. This is the man my son has chosen. And this is the man who makes my son happy. So he is the only man who is allowed to be my son-in-law. I’m extremely happy to introduce my son and his fiance,” 

“Aman and Kartik,” Shankar finishes and points to where they are standing. Aman smiles and waves at everyone while Kartik spirals.  _ No. I'm not what you think I am. I’m just here because Aman is paying me. I don’t make Aman happy. I’m not his perfect match. Please, I'm just fake. Everything is fake. We are not real. I’m not real.  _

Kartik is pulled out of his thoughts when Devika takes his hand and stags him out of there. She takes him to a corner and looks around to see if anyone was there. When she is convinced that they are alone, she pulls Kartik into a hug. Kartik immediately melts into the hug and tries his hardest not to cry. 

“Devika, they are too nice. I’m a liar. I’m just an imposter,” Kartik sobs out. 

“I know Kartik, I know,” Devika rubs his back to soothe him. 

“They’ll hate me if they know the truth,” Kartik cries harder at the thought. 

“Please calm down Kartik,” Devika says. She starts doing a breathing exercise that Kartik once told her about. He follows her lead and finds himself calming down a little. 

“Now listen to me. I totally understand how you feel. But you need to let go of this guilt if you want to do your work perfectly. Don’t get attached to any of them. I know it's hard. But just take this job. It's harsh but you need to do it. Because at the end of this deal, you’ll take your money and walk out. You’ll feel less guilty if you don’t get attached, okay?” Devika says. Her words make no sense but this is exactly what Kartik needed. He needed someone to remind him that this is a job. He doesn’t need to feel guilty about doing his job. He takes a deep breath and nods. Devika smiles and says, “good job. Now go out there and be the best damn fake husband anyone has ever seen,” 

Kartik gives her a smile and fixes himself before walking out of the corner. He spots Aman near the stairs looking anxious. He walks over to him and sees the relief in Aman’s eyes. 

“Where were you?” Aman asks with a sigh of relief. 

“Oh, just needed a moment. Don’t worry,” Kartik smiles. 

“Okay. I thought you got overwhelmed by papa’s speech. I mean you did kind of freeze up for a moment,” Aman says. 

“Oh it was a little overwhelming,” Kartik says.

“Should I ask him to tone it down a little?” Aman asks and Kartik shakes his head. 

“Don’t worry much,” Kartik says, waving him off. Aman smiles at him and picks up a glass from the tray that a server offered to him. Instead of taking a drink of it, he starts tapping on it. That catches everyone’s attention and they all turn to him. 

“Hello everyone,” Aman starts. “Okay, I’m not going to give a long speech and waste your time so please don’t worry. But there is something I need to do,” Aman turns to face Kartik who looks at him in confusion. 

“Here’s a thing right, papa introduced Kartik as my fiance. But he really isn’t my fiance,” Aman says. Kartik looks at him, shocked.  _ What the hell is he doing?  _ Kartik thinks. “We had just started discussing getting married when papa came to Delhi and asked to meet Kartik. In that entire ordeal, I never got to ask Kartik to marry me. So I’m going to do it now. In front of you all,” Aman gets on one knee in front of Kartik and pulls out a ring box from his pocket. He opens it and presents it to Kartik. 

“I know it's too late for this now. But I couldn't just not propose to you. So I’m doing this now. Kartik Singh, will you make me the happiest man on this earth and marry me?” 

Kartik is overwhelmed. He is extremely overwhelmed. He doesn’t know when the tears escape his eyes but in one blink, Aman is standing and pulling Kartik into his arms. Kartik places his head on Aman’s shoulders and cries a little. When he looks around, he sees everyone looking at them in anticipation. Kartik pulls back from the hug and nods eagerly. Aman looks a little confused at first but realizes what Kartik is getting at. He gives Kartik a bright smile and pulls the ring out. Kartik holds out his hand and Aman places the ring on his finger. 

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” they hear people around them chanting. Aman looks at Kartik asking if it's okay. Kartik knew they had to do it at one point but he didn’t know it would be this soon. He smiles at Aman and nods. Aman slowly moves closer to him and cups his face. He once again looks at Kartik asking for permission. Instead of answering, Kartik plants his lips against Aman’s. Once Aman recovers from his initial shock, he kisses Kartik back. They try to drown out the noises from the people around them and just focus on putting up a good show for the family. 

“Let’s hear it for the beautiful couple,” they hear Shankar’s voice and pull away from each other. 

“Thank you,” Aman says and Kartik smiles. 

  
  


_ Best fake husband, here we go.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so thoughts?  
> the next chapter will (probably) be the mehendi and sangeet. 
> 
> see you next time x


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the menhendi and sangeet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is super late but things happened, i wasn't in a very good place but now that it's over, i'm hopefully back.  
> this chapter might not be the best but it is what it is, please enjoy!

The next three days pass in a blur with the preparations going on strong and the guests arriving in full swing. Aman and Kartik have been contributing as much as they can also while constantly finding time in between to discuss their plans. They have also taken a few trips around the city with Devika and Goggle in their free time. All in all, they are really enjoying their time but as the date of the wedding approaches, both Aman and Kartik are being extremely cautious with how they behave around each other. They are doing a pretty good job at gaining Aman’s family's trust.

Especially Kartik, who has managed to get the entire Tripathi family to fall in love with him. For them, Kartik is the perfect match for Aman. With the way he blends in with the family, talking about business and sports with his father and uncles, helping his mom and aunts around the kitchen and learning new recipes with them, playing games with the younger cousins. The person who Kartik has managed to impress the most is Goggle. She considers Kartik as her own brother. Oftentimes, the two disappear to talk about things that they refer to as their ‘secret’ and Aman is extremely happy. He never regretted picking Kartik as his fake husband and now that he is seeing how Kartik is with his family he’s sure that he made the best choice. 

It’s finally the day where they are going to start with the actual ceremonies of the wedding and the first thing they are doing is the mehendi. Normally, the bride’s side and the groom’s side do the mehendi ceremony with their own family members. But since the only person from Kartik’s family who is at their wedding is Devika, Aman’s family decided that they could do the ceremony together. So right now, Kartik is sitting in the place with two girls holding each of his hands, applying mehendi on them. For some reason, Kartik looks miserable while the whole thing is happening. 

Aman wants to go over to him and ask what’s wrong but apparently he isn’t allowed to be with Kartik until the mehendi is done which Aman thinks is dumb, but whatever his family wants. Aman is just standing near the door as he watches Kartik who has a sullen look on his face and there is nothing he can do about it. That is until he sees Goggle coming towards him. Once she is in front of him, she asks, “Why do you look so panicked? Don’t worry we aren’t bad-mouthing you there,”

“No, that’s not it. Kartik looks a little down. I just want to know what’s wrong but maa told me I’m not allowed to be there until the mehendi is done,” Aman explains. 

“Okay, now that I see him, he does look a little down. Let me ask what’s wrong and I’ll get back to you,” Goggle says and runs towards Kartik. She whispers something in his ear and points to where Aman is standing. He looks up at Aman and gives him a tiny smile. Aman returns the smile and tries to ask what’s wrong. Kartik gestures him to wait and whispers something in Goggle’s ears. Goggle nods with an understanding look on her face and comes back to him. 

“Apparently, he’s hungry but the mehendi is taking forever,” Goggle says. 

“I told him to eat before he sat down for the mehendi,” Aman complains and rolls his eyes. 

“Its nearly done, then I’ll go grab him something,” Goggle says. 

“No wait, I’ll go get him something. That way he’ll get his food right after it's done,” Aman says, and Goggle nods. Aman runs to the kitchen where the caterers are preparing for lunch. Aman asks them to give him whatever is prepared at the moment. Once he gets the food, he immediately runs back to the hall where the mehendi ceremony is happening. He notices that Kartik is still in his spot but the girls have stopped working on his hands. 

Aman places the plate of food on a table near him and tries to catch somebody’s attention by waving his hands. His mom is the one who notices him and gestures him to come over. He picks up the plate and walks towards his mother. Once she sees the plate in his hands, she raises an eyebrow. 

“Kartik said he was hungry,” is all Aman says. Sunaina smiles at how whipped his son is and feels extremely happy. This is all she wanted for Aman and she is extremely happy that he has it now. 

“He’s done, go feed him,” she says and Aman nods. Aman makes his way over to Kartik and sits next to him. He presents the plate to Kartik and waits for him to eat. When that doesn’t happen, he looks at Kartik who just pouts and shows Aman his hands.  _ Oh right, the mehendi.  _ Aman just rolls his eyes and brings up a spoonful of food to Kartik’s mouth. Kartik stares at him with wide eyes but takes the bite nonetheless. When he swallows the first bite, he looks around which makes Aman confused. When he looks, he notices that everyone is just staring at them. 

“Is something wrong?” Aman asks, looking at them all in confusion. That seems to snap them out of whatever daze they were in. 

“Okay, let them eat in peace. Everyone back to work,” Sunaina says and everyone goes back to doing whatever they were doing. 

“I told you to eat before you sat down for the mehendi,” Aman says once they don’t have any eyes on them. 

“You did, but I forgot?” Kartik says but it comes out like a question. 

“Forgot? Really?” Aman asks, glaring at Kartik. 

“Fine, I was feeling a little nervous and didn’t think I could eat anything. But then as I eased up, I realized how hungry I was,” Kartik explains while Aman prepares another bite for him. He brings it up to Kartik’s mouth again and watches him eat with satisfaction. 

“If you feel nervous or anxious, take a break from them. They will understand,” Aman assures him and Kartik smiles. After that, the two stop talking and focus on making Kartik eat. 

“Look at you two being the cutest couple,” Aman hears Goggle’s voice and looks up to glare at her. 

“Weren’t you supposed to wait for me while I went to grab something for him?” Aman asks, still glaring at Goggle. 

“I was, but then taiji sent me to check up on the preparations for the sangeet in the evening. So I was there,” Goggle explains. 

“Okay, I guess. Now go bring him a glass of water,” Aman orders. Goggle flips him off as she walks away which makes Kartik laugh and Aman looks at her in disbelief. 

“Who taught her that?” Aman asks, still shocked and Kartik elbows his side, still laughing. 

“It’s your turn now,” Kartik says once he has managed to calm down a little. 

“I don’t know how people have the patience to sit through this,” Aman complains, already dreading having to sit and be able to do nothing for the next few hours. 

“I don’t really mind sitting through this. For me, it’s similar to getting a tattoo, but you know with less pain,” Kartik shrugs and Aman nods, his eyes falling on the triangle on Kartik’s neck. 

“Give me some of your patience,” Aman whines which makes Kartik laugh. 

“Have fun,” Kartik says in between his laughs and Aman groans. 

“Aman, if you need to eat, do it now. We’ll start your mehendi in a few minutes,” he can hear his mom speak from somewhere. 

“Save me,” Aman groans looking up at the ceiling. 

“It's a tough life,” Kartik says faking a sigh which earns him a slap from Aman. They sit in silence for some time waiting for Goggle to arrive and bring Kartik’s water. 

“Sorry, the people from the boutique came to deliver your outfits for tonight, they are in your rooms,” Goggle says and hands Aman the glass of water. He brings it to Kartik’s mouth and lets Kartik drink it.

“Okay, I’ll check it out once we’re done here,” Aman says once Kartik has finished the glass of water. Goggle nods and walks away when someone calls her. Then Aman gets called for his mehendi too. 

“You’ll be okay?” Aman asks before he leaves. 

“Yep, I’m just going to go find Devika. See you later,” Kartik says. Aman nods and lets him leave. 

  
  
  
  


Aman is checking himself in the mirror, really impressed with Kartik’s choice. Kartik chose a floral print black and red suit for Aman and he is really liking the way he looks in it. The color compliments him perfectly. The people who worked on his hair and the light amount of makeup he is wearing were also in love with the way his outfit looks and couldn’t stop gushing about his  _ fiancé’s  _ taste. Aman gives himself one final look in the mirror when he hears a knock on his door. 

“Come on in,” he tells the person and sees his mom walk in. He immediately runs to her and is pulled into a hug. When he pulls back, his mom looks at him from top to bottom and gives him a bright smile. 

“You look so stunning,” she tells him and it makes him blush. 

“Thank you, maa. Kartik has really nice taste,” Aman says, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. 

“That he does. Not because he picked this outfit, but because he picked you,” she says sincerely. He doesn’t know how to answer her so he just smiles. 

“Are you done, by the way? Everyone is ready downstairs. We were waiting for you,” his mom says. 

“Wait, is Kartik there already?” Aman asks. 

“No, Goggle went to get him. But that doesn’t answer my question,” his mom says. 

“Yes, I'm done. Let’s go,” Aman says and holds out his elbow for her. She wraps her hand around his elbow with a smile and they both leave the room to go to the hall. Aman looks around the hall and is amazed by the way they managed to get it to look so beautiful in such a short amount of time. The “stage” is set up beautifully with flowers and lights. The place where the couple sits is also nicely decorated with flowers and other decorative items and it looks incredibly stunning. His mom makes him sit on the spot and leaves. He is anxiously staring at the door waiting for Kartik and Goggle to arrive.  _ God, I hope he likes the outfit I picked out for him.  _ He thinks in his mind. 

He hears Goggle’s laugh before he sees them. Once they walk in, Aman can’t take his eyes off of Kartik. The white kurta and pajama set with the blue kurta on top look amazing on him but the pink dupatta  _ which wasn’t his plan  _ takes the outfit to a whole new level. The dupatta really pulls the outfit together and he has no idea where Kartik got it from.  _ But god is he thankful for it.  _ His hair and the minimal makeup he is wearing makes him look so beautiful, Aman can feel himself malfunctioning. Kartik and Goggle slowly start making their way towards him. Once Kartik sees him, his face brightens. He comes and sits next to him while Goggle leaves to mingle around with the guests. 

“Do you like it?” Kartik asks him. 

“Like what?” Aman asks. His brain is currently a mush and he can’t really process any thoughts. 

“Your outfit, dummy,” Kartik says with a giggle. Aman finally pulls himself together and nods. 

“I really like the color. And the design,” Aman answers lamely. 

“Oh thank god, I was scared that you might end up hating it,” Kartik sighs. 

“Oh I don’t hate it, don’t worry. What about you? Do you like your outfit?” Aman asks. 

“I love it. It’s not really something I would have picked for myself but as I’m wearing it, I like how I feel,” Kartik explains. 

“The dupatta, it’s a nice addition,” Aman compliments. 

“Really? I just added it on a whim because I thought the outfit lacked something that was…….I don’t know, me?” Kartik says which makes Aman chuckle. 

“Does it feel completely ‘you’ now?” Aman asks using the quotation gesture with his fingers. 

“Yep, now it does,” Kartik says with a satisfied look on his face. 

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen. May I have your attention?” Aman hears someone speak and looks in the direction of the “stage” where his cousin, Keshav is. When Keshav sees Aman looking at him, he waves enthusiastically which Aman returns with a small wave. 

“Your cousin?” he hears Kartik ask from beside him. 

“Remember the uncle I told you about? Who cut ties with us?” Aman asks, looking at Kartik and Kartik nods. “That’s his son,” 

“Oh, makes sense,” Kartik says with a nod. 

“So, today we are gathered here to celebrate the sangeet ceremony of our favorite Aman bhaiya and the new addition to the family, Kartik jiju. So first. Let’s give them a round of applause,” Keshav says and everyone starts clapping. Kartik and Aman just look at each other awkwardly and then give the clapping crowd a small wave. 

“Well, I’m not here to bore you with some lengthy speech, so what I’ll do is call the first performers for the night,” with that the performances start. And this is the part that Aman hates about this ceremony. People just come and show their dance skills, some excited kids who willingly do it, and the remaining are forced by their parents. Honestly, no one even remembers this part and Aman just finds it highly unnecessary. He zones out for most of the performances, only responding with small claps and occasional screams. 

Meanwhile, Kartik is enjoying this a little too much. He is whistling and screaming at each performance. It should have annoyed Aman but for some reason, he finds it endearing when it's Kartik. Excited is a very good look on Kartik, Aman realizes. The way he immediately starts clapping and jumping on his seat when he sees something he likes shouldn’t be this cute but Aman can’t help himself. 

“Okay, so it’s time to put the performances on hold and play a game,” Keshav says into the mic. Aman sees Goggle run up to the DJ station and grab a mic from there. 

“So the game we are playing is with the couple and it’s a ‘how well do you know each other?’” Goggle says excitedly. Aman and Kartik look at each other in a panic because they didn’t really think they would have to do this. They didn’t know many things about each other and if they mess up, it could cause a big problem to their entire plan. 

“So how this is going to work is, we’re going to give them this board,” Goggle says and points at the board that Keshav grabbed while Aman was panicking. “And we’ll ask them a question and they have to write down their answers and reveal it at the same time. Sounds fun?” Goggle says and everyone screams in reply. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Goggle says and comes over to them. Keshav hands hem the board and the marker and Goggle starts with the questions. 

“A simple question at the start, where did you two first meet?” Goggle asks.  _ Oh, that’s easy.  _ Aman writes the place and looks up. 

“Okay reveal,” she says and they both turn their board. “Central mall comic con is the correct answer,” 

“Next question, when and where was the first date?” Goggle says and they both write their answers before revealing it. 

“January 21st, Sozin’s cafe,” Goggle says and everyone claps. 

“Who said the three words first?” Goggle says wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Aman chuckles and writes his answer before revealing it. 

“Wait, Aman was the first?” Goggle asks shocked. Kartik nods smugly while Aman just blushes. “I didn’t know he had it in him. Okay wait, after the way he has been for the past few days, I can see,” 

“Shut up,” Aman whines, and everyone laughs. 

“Now, a little difficult question. Or maybe not,” Goggle says. “First question for you Aman, what is Kartik’s favorite color?” 

Now, this is something they hadn’t discussed before. He looks over at Kartik in a panic who is looking back at him with a similar expression. He tries asking Kartik for a hint but Goggle interrupts him. Just then, he remembers an incident. During their ‘photoshoot’, when they clicked pictures at this park near Kartik’s apartment, they had a conversation about the sky. More specifically, how Kartik finds the color of the sky on a sunny day very soothing. He decides to take his chance and write the answer. 

“The correct answer is blue,” Goggle says and Aman turns to look at Kartik who is looking at him, shocked. Aman gives him a smug smile and a shrug. 

“Now, Kartik. What is Aman’s all-time favorite food?” Goggle asks. Aman tries to think of an instance where he might have mentioned how much he loved Goggle’s Manchurian rice recipe to Kartik. Goggle herself knows this answer so there is no way Aman can lie. He writes the answer with a defeated sigh. 

“I know the correct answer for this so you both can’t cheat,” Goggle says. Kartik takes a little time but answers the question. “Yes, it is my Manchurian rice recipe,” Goggle says excitedly and now it is Aman’s turn to look at Kartik in disbelief. He does the same thing Aman did which makes Aman laugh. 

“Okay, the next question, you have to give your own answer and not the others, okay?” Goggle says and Aman nods. 

“What are your favorite memories with each other?” Goggle asks. 

“And please keep it PG 13,” Keshav comments from the other side which makes everyone laugh. 

Aman tries to think of a moment that would make his family swoon but he can’t come up with any.  _ I really need to start reading more fiction. _ Aman thinks in his head. Now with no other option, he decides to write the actual favorite memory he has with Kartik. He writes it down and waits for Kartik to finish. 

“Okay, let’s hear your answer,” Goggle says and hands the mic to Aman. 

“Wait, then why did you make us write it down?” Aman asks. 

“Rules, bhaiya,” Goggle says with an innocent smile. Aman glares at her but takes the mic. 

“Um, my favorite memory with Kartik is from our first date. We didn’t really know each other that well so he kind of assumed that I might be a serial killer so he brought his friend, Devika, with him. She was sitting at the far corner, you know, hiding from us. At first, I thought she might be a stalker when she kept looking at our table until I put the pieces together,” Aman says. This causes everyone in the hall to start laughing. When he looks at Kartik, he sees that Kartik is glaring at him but also has a small smile on his face. He hands the mic to Kartik who takes it with a quiet thank you. 

“Okay, I’m a little embarrassed but hey, at least I’m not an idiot. It's always safety first,” Kartik starts. Aman knows Kartik must have a very good memory of them planned in his head. Aman seriously wonders where he gets his creativity from. “Well, my favorite memory with Aman is the first time he came over to my apartment. We decided to bake cookies. I asked him to add the sugar in the batter while I preheated the oven but this dumbhead here added salt instead. Those cookies were saltier than a desi parent who just heard someone’s child being more successful than theirs,” that last part makes Aman laugh so hard, he forgets the fact that Kartik just dragged his cooking skills or the lack thereof. 

Every adult in the room laughs uncomfortably while the teenagers are losing their shit. They are clapping and screaming so loud, Aman is afraid the people near them might call the police or something. But Aman himself is too far gone in his laughter to actually bother with shutting them down. 

“Okay, those are some very interesting memories,” Goggle says in between her laugh. “But I think we should call that the end of the game? We still have a few more performances left. And also a very special surprise. So let’s move on with that,” Goggle says and bows before taking a leave. Aman is very confused at the special surprise part. He wasn’t informed about any of that. The rest of the performances go the same way as before with Aman being bored out of his mind. Like seriously, how many times does he have to watch a kid do the same choreography from a very popular Punjabi song before he pulls his hair out. But the one thing he notices is how Kartik’s excitement is slowly decreasing as the ceremony comes to an end. Aman thinks it might be because he is tired from the mehendi and sangeet ceremony but the way he is nervously bouncing his legs is telling a different story. 

“And now, for the last performance of the night. Honestly, I was very excited about this one. Because the next performance means a lot to the couple. I’m not going to spoil it for you guys so let’s just welcome Kartik jiju on the stage,” Keshav says. Aman turns to look at Kartik who just gives him a smile, but the smile is laced with nervousness. Before Aman can ask anything, Kartik leaves his spot and is handed a guitar by one of the people in the DJ station. He takes a seat on the chair that is placed on the stage and smiles at everyone. 

“Um, hi hello everyone. You guys might be wondering what I’m doing. So I’ll first explain that. So um, I wrote this song about a year ago. This song is very close to my heart. I wrote it while I was in love. Every word in it is just laced with the emotions I went through. I always waited for the right time to sing it. Which I think is today. So Aman, this is for you,” Kartik says and starts strumming his guitar. 

_ “Teri meri aisi jud gayi kahaani _

_ Ke jud jaata jaise do nadiyon ka paani _

_ Mujhe aage tere sath behna hai” _

Kartik’s voice slowly fills Aman’s ears and he feels as if he is in heaven. Kartik has an amazing voice. But the song. The song isn’t for Aman. This song is someone else. Someone who made Kartik feel this way. Someone who Kartik cared for.  _ Someone Kartik loved. Not him. Not Aman.  _

_ “Jaana tumhein to hai teh bata jaani _

_ Ke aye zindagi kaise banti suhaani _

_ Mujhe har pal tere sath rehna hai _

_ Tu kuchh adhoore se _

_ Hum bhi kuchh aadhe _

_ Aadha aadha hum jo dono mila dein _

_ To ban jaayegi apni ik zindgaani _

_ Yeh duniya mile na mile humko _

_ Khushiyan bhaga dengi har gham ko _

_ Tum sath ho phir kya baaki ho _

_ Mere liye tum kaafi ho _

_ Mere liye tum kaafi ho _

_ Mere liye tum kaafi ho _

  
  


_ Ek aasmaan ke hain hum do sitare ke _

_ Ke takraate hain toot’te hain bechare _

_ Mujhe tumse par yeh kehna hai _

_ Chakke jo do sath chlte hain thode to _

_ Ghisne ragadne mein chhilte hain thode _

_ Par yoon hi to kat’te hain kachche kinaare _

_ Yeh dil jo dhala teri aadt mein _

_ Shaamil kiya hai ibaadat mein _

_ Thodi khuda se bhi maafi ho _

_ Mere liye tum kaafi ho _

_ Mere liye tum kaafi ho _

_ Mere liye tum kaafi ho _

_ Mere liye tum kaafi ho” _

As the song goes on, Aman falls deeper into the guilt hole he built for himself. He doesn’t know why, but the song is too overwhelming for him. The lyrics, all written while Kartik was feeling the purest emotions, being used for this lie doesn’t sit right with him. This is not an Aman and Kartik song. This is a  _ Kartik and the person he loved  _ song. And that isn’t really a pleasant thought. 

At this moment, all Aman wants to do is run away. He can’t do this. But he has no other option. He can’t mess it all up after coming this far. This company is his dream and he isn’t letting anyone, not even himself, ruin it. So he pulls himself together and puts on his face a show look and runs towards Kartik, pulling him in a tight hug. Kartik wraps his arms around Aman’s body and presses himself closer to him. Aman hears everyone screaming and cheering them on. He knows they are successful in convincing everyone how real their relationship is. Now, there is no going back. 

“Well, we really sold ourselves,” Kartik whispers in his ears. 

“We did,” Aman agrees. 

“Ready to get married?” Kartik asks, pulling back from the hug. He has a determined look on his face. Aman looks at the cheering still going on and then back at Kartik. 

“More than ready,” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thoughts?  
> I'll try to update this as soon as I can possibly can so see you then!

**Author's Note:**

> so that was chapter 1, did you enjoy it?  
> please stay tuned for more. i really appreciate your feedback so please keep them coming. 
> 
> till next time, shakchi x


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